So many emotions at one time!

The scrapbook page I made of Ava with Grandpa Jim for her book.

August 30th marks the 2nd anniversary of my father in laws death.   He is so greatly missed and it is a struggle to keep his memory alive for the kids who were only 4, 2 and 6mos.  That part makes me the saddest!  He was a very loved man with 3 children, 3 step-children and 12 grandchildren.  It is very surreal that someone can be with us one day and gone the next.  It all started on Aug 28th (a friday) evening.  I had to work the next day and since I go in so early we were trying to feed the kids and get them to my parents for the night.  We got a call from my SIL saying there was something wrong with my FIL but she didn't know how serious.  We tried to reach some other family members to figure out if we should rush out or sit tight for more info.  We both tried to stay calm but got more anxious and ran my two oldest to my Mom's and took Ava because I was nursing and didn't want to use up too much liquid gold (breastmilk)!  We got to the hospital and discovered he was unconscious but alive.  They believed he had a massive stroke and he was in his work truck when he was found but we have no idea how long.  Luckily, by the grace of God, he wasn't driving at the time.  He never woke up, he was officially pronounced on that Sunday with his family there but we decided to donate whatever organs could be used and they kept him on life support until the transplant team arrived.  He was able to donate his kidneys and liver!  As a dialysis nurse that knows how important this selfless act is...well I was thrilled!  My brother was also an organ donor and I pray he saved lives as well.  This was definitely the silver lining for us.  My MIL still finds such great peace with this and communicates with the recipients occasionally.  I have been through some tragic losses in my life and it never gets easier or I guess I never understand why.  I think the only answer that gives me peace is that they are at peace and that my life has been so enriched by what they taught me and by how much they loved me.  I guess that's what I'll tell my kids...

Grandpa making Ava laugh just a month before he passed.

Another lesson learned is to take TOO many photos because I wish I had more of Grandpa Martin and my kiddos!

Posted by Heather Brewer Hill

Fun weekend...kid style! Plus other weekly events.

Sophia making her own snack.

I apologize for the lengthy post but I had all sorts of random things going on but mostly wanted to explain about the weekend the kids had requested, park time with friends, bedtime and some random scrapbooking. It all started Wednesday night when Alex was drawing at the table before bed.  When I told him it was time to brush his teeth he said "I wish I could stay up as long as I want to".  I told him as we were reading books that on Friday we could stay up late.  He asked if he could stay up 'til midnight, have movie night and sleep in the tent!  Uh, okay I said...well that got him started on the exact details!  We would watch a movie, have popcorn (with M&M's-my weakness), zucchini bread and chocolate chip cookies!  We would sleep in the tent and then the next night we would sleep in the outside tent and have s'mores!!!  "We'll see," I finally told him. 

On Friday we went and rented Rio (very cute btw) and had popcorn with M&M's and snuggled in their sleeping bags.  Then, Saturday Matt set up the tent in the backyard (he is so sweet) and started a little campfire to do s'mores!  They had a ball.  Sophia and Alex actually slept outside with Matt ALL night!  I got out of it because poor Ava was running a fever and we snuggled in my bed together!  Darn, I am sooo not a camper so it really was hard to sleep in my bed! haha

Movie night!

We love camping with Dad!

Alex's artwork, this is pictures of Mario from Supermario bros.  He's into that right now!

Daddy is the best.

My pretty girl before church.  I wouldn't look like that if I slept in the tent all night!

Bring on the s'mores!1

Rosie is like me...not much of a camper but right there for the s'mores!

Yum!

Backyard campfire!

Sophia and one of her buds at the park!

My sweet girls getting ready for bed.  Both proudly wearing their "I love Daddy" jams.

This is a scrapbook page of Ava's nursery I have been trying to finish and finally got done while everyone was camping.

Now, back to Alex's drawing before bed.  He has gotten so good at his artwork.  He loves art class at school which unfortunately is just once a week.  His teacher keeps telling me how good he does!  I notice the papers he brings home are very precise with color and exact details that sometimes I think he doesn't get it finished!  They really are pretty good though, yes I am slightly biased!!!  They also send home a little book he has to "read" to us every night and a calender with activities to complete at home.  I love this because it gives me direction and we can do it at a time when things are calm.  He has done well with this too.  I dread the real homework that is coming next year but right now it's just the right amount.  I am really proud of how well my little guy is doing.  He has a WONDERFUL teacher which makes it fun for him and I think she is instilling self-confidence in him that he was lacking before! 

Fitting it all in!

This is before the meltdown!

This is after we discovered we can't sit with our friends!

Right after he got out of school on his very first day!!!

Well school has started, it took me a day but I have finally stopped crying!  My big boy has officially started kindergarten and informed me this morning that he "loves school"!  This is music to my ears...he is very quite and I was so scared he would cry daily.  He cried for a few minutes yesterday when we dropped him off but that was really only because 2 or his buds and another girl he knew were at the same table (by alphabetical order) and he wasn't!  Oh boy, I thought we were done but he ended up having a great day and says he loves all of it!

Before school started we took alittle overnight trip to Indy.  We went to the zoo one day, swam at our hotel and then went to the Children's Museum the next day...so fun!  It's always nice to get away and in Sophie's words "my favorite part was being together"!  How long will that last???

This is for my Mom, had to get a shot of that!

We had to drag Ava away from this water table!

Ava and Sophia watching the sea lions swim

Sophie posing in front of the sea lion that was sunning himself on this awesome day!  We picked a great day in August to go, it was only about 80 degrees!

Alex posing in front of dinosaur poop!  He said "Papaw's gotta see this!" 

Bath tub silly kids!

 These two are soooooo goofy!  We heard them cracking up in the tub and when we went to see, this is what we found!  They used their bath crayons to paint their faces!!! 

 Ava and Sophia had enough swimming so they went in to make silly faces at the deck door, we are always entertained!

 Here is Matt's birthday card I made him fro his birthday which is tucked in between Alex and Sophia's birthday so I try to make his special but it's always so crazy!

 All of my kids (2 and 4 legged)!  They are like their dad and I...we love our dogs!

 I got my zoom lens out to capture this pretty butterfly that landed on my butterfly bush.




 






Birthday Bash!!!

 Alex and his buddy, Joey getting a ride from Joey's sister Ellie.

                                              Ava got a gift too from her aunt and uncle...such a princess!

                                                        The place to be when it's 98 degrees out!

                                                                            Gotta love toys!

                                                                 My beautiful birthday girl!!!

                                                   Ava and our neighbor and fun buddy, Meredith!

                                                                  
                                                                    "Happy Birthday to you!"

The other place to be in the heat (my sweet friends Steph and Suzanne)

This summer has been incredibly hot but that why it's nice to have a pool (even though it's 91 degrees in the pool)!  The kids wanted to have a "friend" party for their birthdays so that's what we did!  I usually get stressed and wound up getting ready but I didn't do that this time, I figured it would all work out.  It was pretty hot but my BFF brought some of her tents and that helped as well as being in the water!